Bad Voodoo's War

Episode Info

It was summer of 2007: The surge in Iraq was about to peak, and a battalion of California-based infantrymen known as the "Bad Voodoo Platoon" were about to be deployed on the front lines. These were soldiers who were intimately familiar with the rules of combat, and many of them were on their second and third tours. This time around, the "Bad Voodoo Platoon" is assigned the task of safely escorting convoys of men and materials across some of the most treacherous roads in the entire world. Iraq is on fire, and these men are about to dive directly into the heart of the inferno. In order to offer a solder's eye view of the mission, filmmaker Deborah Scranton provided each of the soldiers with mini-DV cameras. The resulting footage places the viewer right in the heart of the action as the "Bad Voodoo Platoon" rolls out under a moonlit sky and attempts to navigate a notorious stretch of road known as "IED Alley." When the convoy is hit by a roadside bomb, Sgt. 1st Class Toby Nunn discerns that the local Iraqi security forces - the same troops charged with ensuring the safety of their country - were well aware that it had been planted and armed. As fatigue, frustration, and terror take hold, the viewer is constantly reminded that this war affects more than just the "Bad Voodoo Platoon" who continually risk their lives to help stabilize Iraq.